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Plant–Microorganisms Symbiosis: Genetic and Molecular Basis of Host Plant’s Choice
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Plant–Microorganisms Symbiosis: Genetic and Molecular Basis of Host Plant’s Choice

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 1575

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alice Checcucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy
Interests: genetic determinants involved in plant–microorganism interactions for the improvement of agricultural production; plant candidate genes involved in adaptation to abiotic stress; rhizosphere signaling; nitrogen-fixing symbiosis; protoplast metabolic characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Salvioli Di Fossalunga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, V.le Mattioli 25, Torino, Italy
Interests: plant–microbe interaction; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; symbiosis; rhizosphere microbiota; plant-growth promoting microorganisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

For millions of years, plants and microorganisms have evolved complex signals to communicate and interact, particularly at the root–soil interface. The solid mechanisms of cooperation and of reciprocal fitness improvement are at the basis of the beneficial association named symbiosis.

The most evolutionarily ancient plant-symbioses are established with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which help to provide host plant with nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively). Contrarily to the rhizobial symbiosis limited to legumes’ host, AMF form a symbiotic association with a broader range of plants. Nevertheless, and intriguingly, the signaling similarities and overlaps in rhizobial and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses are extensive.

Indeed, a strict and controlled partner choice occurs during these and other mutualistic interactions, which indicate several genetic and molecular mechanisms that have co-evolved in both plant and microbes. Furthermore, in the last few years, it has been largely demonstrated that the interaction among plant and microbial genotypes (GxG) is relevant for the partner selection process and symbiotic performance.

This Special Issue aims to collect contributions of studies on the symbiosis established by plant roots and soil microorganisms. The topic includes, but is not limited to, the following: i) the genetic and molecular exploration of partner selection; ii) the role of the host plant’s genetic determinants in symbiotic interactions; iii) the evolutionary dynamics of symbiosis in plants.

Dr. Alice Checcucci
Dr. Alessandra Salvioli Di Fossalunga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant symbiosis legume
  • biological nitrogen-fixation
  • AMF
  • rhizobia
  • bioinoculation
  • sustainable agriculture

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

12 pages, 857 KiB  
Review
Seed-Coat Pigmentation Plays a Crucial Role in Partner Selection and N2 Fixation in Legume-Root–Microbe Associations in African Soils
by Sanjay K. Jaiswal and Felix D. Dakora
Plants 2024, 13(11), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13111464 - 25 May 2024
Viewed by 1074
Abstract
Legume–rhizobia symbiosis is the most important plant–microbe interaction in sustainable agriculture due to its ability to provide much needed N in cropping systems. This interaction is mediated by the mutual recognition of signaling molecules from the two partners, namely legumes and rhizobia. In [...] Read more.
Legume–rhizobia symbiosis is the most important plant–microbe interaction in sustainable agriculture due to its ability to provide much needed N in cropping systems. This interaction is mediated by the mutual recognition of signaling molecules from the two partners, namely legumes and rhizobia. In legumes, these molecules are in the form of flavonoids and anthocyanins, which are responsible for the pigmentation of plant organs, such as seeds, flowers, fruits, and even leaves. Seed-coat pigmentation in legumes is a dominant factor influencing gene expression relating to N2 fixation and may be responsible for the different N2-fixing abilities observed among legume genotypes under field conditions in African soils. Common bean, cowpea, Kersting’s groundnut, and Bambara groundnut landraces with black seed-coat color are reported to release higher concentrations of nod-gene-inducing flavonoids and anthocyanins compared with the Red and Cream landraces. Black seed-coat pigmentation is considered a biomarker for enhanced nodulation and N2 fixation in legumes. Cowpea, Bambara groundnut, and Kersting’s bean with differing seed-coat colors are known to attract different soil rhizobia based on PCR-RFLP analysis of bacterial DNA. Even when seeds of the same legume with diverse seed-coat colors were planted together in one hole, the nodulating bradyrhizobia clustered differently in the PCR-RFLP dendrogram. Kersting’s groundnut, Bambara groundnut, and cowpea with differing seed-coat colors were selectively nodulated by different bradyrhizobial species. The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing also found significant selective influences of seed-coat pigmentation on microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of five Kersting’s groundnut landraces. Seed-coat color therefore plays a dominant role in the selection of the bacterial partner in the legume–rhizobia symbiosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant–Microorganisms Symbiosis: Genetic and Molecular Basis of Host Plant’s Choice)
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